Roses and blood
by deathpale
Summary: She was everything he hated, he was everything she was against... Sometimes the passion between two people is too strong to stop it. A story about forbidden love, lust, betrayal and of course blood. Enjoy!
1. Prologue

His platinum blond hair glistened under the moonlight. His grey eyes clear and hazy looked at her with affection and lust and she felt like she was under a spell. Only this hour of the day they could be together. Only in darkness. The light was his enemy and had become hers as well. He was ice cold. She was fierce fire. Two opposites melted under the lights of the moon and stars as one.

She stood in front of the window frozen, watching him approach her ,slowly, like a predator does during the hunt. His irises almost black, his nostrils flared like he could smell her fear and excitement in the air. With every step he took, she knew she was sinking deeper in his world of darkness.

She was everything he hated, he was everything she was against. But still the passion between them was too great. Sometimes the intense of her feelings made her feel like she had no control. Sometimes his desire for her made him realize that he wanted her too much for both their good. Their union was forbidden. She was human, he was not. She was alive, he was undead. But still when he was with her it was like his heart could beat again. Like his blood flowed through his veins warm. When she was with him, her blood stopped moving through her body. The rosiness on her cheeks left her face and a shadow circled her very existence.

He would never say he loved her, she would never have believed him even if he did. There was no love between them. No warmth during their union. No sweet talking, no hugs afterwards. Only long hard kisses, reaping of clothes, drops of blood; a constant battle between them, where no one could win. The fire melted the ice and the water undid the flames turning them into ashes.

She never wanted a relationship like this. She was always a fairytale lover. She wanted a happy ending, someone prince-like who would hold her hand, kiss her goodbye, make her feel like a queen. Not someone who would take her innocence, drink her blood and trap her in a place of shadows and sins. But still as he drew near, she felt her heart beat faster with excitement. His mysterious figure, his magical eyes had her trembling. When she was with him she felt courageous, exhilarated. Like breaking all the rules and never getting caught.

He was a creature of the night. He could never become the prince she always wanted him to be. He could never change, even for her. He lived like this for years. Decades. There was nothing else between the iciness and the cruelty. Nothing human. And he knew he would destroy her. From the first moment he saw her he knew he would have her. And he knew this would be her destruction. Because eventually she would lose every drop of her humanity and innocence and there would be no place for her in her world, in the light. Only in his world she could exist and she would never accept this. It would kill her.

She could never take someone else's life. He couldn't live without someone else's blood. Any blood. Her blood. It was like a drug to him. When he first tasted her he felt like he drank nectar. He felt like he was in a twisted heaven. And he became addicted. Every time he fought hard not to take her life. And as the days past it became harder because she never complained. She gave her blood to him freely. Her pulse increased every time he brought his mouth to her neck. Her sharp intake of breath every time he bit her, the sensual moan she produced as he drank from her, betrayed her desire. And it was like music to his ear. He always loved it when his victims were scared. Their screams of fear excited him. But not her screams. He would never make her do something she didn't want to. He would never hurt her on purpose. And this scared him. Scared him to death, because he knew that he was letting her become his weakness. This twisted, fucked up relationship would be their death. It would destroy them. Both of them knew, neither of them cared.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was a dark and cold night. It wasn't but a few days before that autumn started and still the breeze that blew this night was enough to make you shiver uncomfortably. She sat alone in a terrace in an abandoned house near her neighborhood, from where she had a very clear view of the city. She loved coming here. Especially on cold, windy nights like this particular one. She sat there for hours, enjoying the view and the air blowing on her face. It always calmed her down. It was like all her troubles flew away, at least for the moment.

She hugged her arms around her as she felt a shiver ran through her body. The blouse she was wearing was too thin to protect her from the cold. She knew that if she stayed out here any longer she would definitely catch a cold, but she was so mesmerized by this place she could not bring herself to leave it yet. It was always quiet here. The only sounds that reached her ears were the distant sounds from the road. This place was her sanctuary. She had discovered it one day while she was taking a walk and since then she always came here when she felt stressed or depressed. But as the time passed, she became fond of it and came in every chance she got.

Sometimes she would sit here and think how nice it would be to fix this house and live here with the love of her life. She would dream about sitting here with him at nights, making love to each other and then sit together watching the moon and wishing to each fallen star they could be together for an eternity.

'Yeah like this would ever happen to me. Wake up Ophelia! These things only happen in the movies' she told herself. 'Damn these romantic books I read. They really start to mess with my head.'

She looked at her watch.

'Well it seems it's time to head back home.' She thought and stood up to clean her clothes from the dust.

With one last look around her she began descending the stairs and soon she was out on the road again.

"Till tomorrow then." she said to no one and began heading home.

What she didn't notice was two glowing eyes watching her from the shadows.

He had noticed her from the moment she stepped in this house. He didn't know why but something drew him to her. There was something about her that made her different. He couldn't place what though. It was not beauty. Yes, she was pretty. Someone could even say she was beautiful, with her long auburn hair and honey brown eyes. But he had seen prettier girls. His kind was blessed with more beauty than humans, a dark beauty it may be but beauty nonetheless, so it was not her looks that attracted him to her. It was something about the way she carried herself, something about her aura. A calm, serene air seemed to surround her yet he felt like there was more to her. He felt her passion, the strength she hid inside her. She reminded him of the sea. It could transform from a peaceful place to a deathly trap in a matter of seconds.

He saw her enter the house and by the way she walked around he understood this was not the first time she had come here. He wondered what a girl her age was doing in an old house on a Friday night. She couldn't be more than 18. Girls in her age were hanging out with their friends getting drunk or having sex with their boyfriends somewhere. Why was she here then, all alone? Didn't she have any friends to party with? Or a boyfriend to snog? He tried to catch the smell of a man on her but he could only smell her own scent. Still, it was dangerous for a young girl to wander alone at night and visit abandoned houses.

'There are many dangerous things out here, including myself of course.' He said matter of fact.

He was curious as to what brought her here and he decided to stay and find out.

It wasn't until an hour later that she came out again. When she did he heard her say she would come back again tomorrow. At first hearing her speak, he feared he had been discovered, but then he realized she was only talking to herself.

He mentally slapped himself for acting so stupid.

"Well she'd better be worth it." He said as he made the decision to follow her.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The temperature has obviously dropped a lot since the time she left home and she regretted not wearing something warmer. A breeze made her shiver again and she increased her pace so she could arrive home as soon as possible. She decided to take a short cut through a dark alley. She stopped when she reached it. She had never taken this road before. She was aware of the dangers a place like this could hide. Her parents have warned her too many times since she was a child never to use this road. Many incidents have occurred here, they had said, but every time she asked for details they never gave anything away. Curiosity crept into her. A need to find if the rumors about this place were true. A desire to taste this danger. Adrenaline rushed into her veins and she took a step forward.

'Just this one time… A little risk to prevent to catch a cold. I'll walk quickly and I'll be off before I know it.' She reassured herself despite the bad feeling that had crawled in her stomach.

As she was walking, she felt like someone was following her. She threw a glance behind her but saw nothing.

"Damn those stories. They really start to get to me. There is nothing here." She whispered grumpily.

And then she heard a crash. She jumped slightly and turned back to see what has caused this sound but she couldn't see anything in the pitch black of the alley.

"Ok, calm down. It was probably a cat or something." She tried to calm herself. "Just keep going."

She took a deep breath, steadied herself and turned around to continue her way when she came face to face with two piercing red eyes.

Immediately she took a step back bewildered. She wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't imagining this. She wanted to run but her body refused to move. She stood there frozen, watching these glowing eyes approach her. A million thoughts ran through her mind.

'What the hell is this? Can they… Are they real?' she thought scared. 'Who has red eyes?'

As if having heard her thoughts the figure came to stand in front of her. She could see his tall body but it blended so good with the darkness that it looked shadowy, almost ghost like. The only thing that stood out was his pale face that contrasted the dark, like the moon does in a starless night.

She felt her legs were once again able to move and she took one step back for every step he took forward. Until she felt something solid come in contact with her back. She could feel its coldness even through her clothes. A wall, she realized.

'I'm trapped!' she panicked. She looked around her trying to find a way to escape but there was nothing she could do with him standing in front of her. She didn't stand a chance. He seemed to know his way through the shadows and he was much stronger than her, so she wasn't going anywhere.

He was staring intently at her. And she couldn't look anywhere else but him. It was like he had her under a spell. Like he could control her body and mind. Like he could guess her every move. He lifted slowly his hand and she closed her eyes in fear of what he would do next. But nothing happened. When she opened them again he was still there, only this time a smirk was painted on his lips and then she saw perfect white teeth almost as white as the rest of him. Her eyes were glued to his teeth. They seemed so sharp, like they could cut you into a million pieces. They almost looked like…

She didn't finish her thought as a silky voice brought her back to reality.

"What is a little girl like you doing here? Haven't your parents told you not to wander alone at night?" he asked his lips still forming this smirk that would send children crying to their mothers.

She fought hard to come back with an answer but she was sure that even if she did, her voice would fail her.

'Now it's not the time to start up a conversation. You have to find a way out of here and quickly.' An inner voice told her.

And then he was speaking again. She struggled to keep up with what he was saying.

"But I guess you have a fascination with danger, is that right? Is this the reason you go and sit at this old house alone? You know, for a girl your age you sure have a weird way to spend your nights." He observed.

'Well, who gave him the right to talk to her, _no_, make fun of her because of the way she enjoyed to spend her nights?' she wondered angrily. She opened her mouth to answer when finally what he had said, sank in. 'How did he know about the house? Could he be…?'

"You were following me?" she asked with a trembling voice.

He smiled. "And so the princess speaks. For a moment I thought you were dump."

She saw his smile and got angry. She wanted to scream at him, punch him and run home without ever looking back. He was playing with her. He had the upper hand and was using his advantage against her. He knew she was afraid. Who wouldn't be in her position? But the thought of him making fun of her, treating her like she was a stupid child enraged her.

He saw the gleaming in her eyes, the angry pout on her face and his smile widened even more, if that was possible. Oh, how she wished to rip that smile off his face. She narrowed her eyes and decided that if she would fall she would do so with a fight, she would show some bravery. She cleared her throat and started again.

"Were you following me?" This time her voice didn't betray her. She was surprised at how strong it sounded.

"You could say that." He replied.

"Why?" she asked harshly.

"No reason. Didn't have anything better to do." He said looking almost bored.

"And you said I was weird." She said sarcastically.

He chuckled and the sound sent shivers through her body.

"Well I had fun but I really have to go now, so goodnight." She said and moved to get past him.

But before she knew it, he had grabbed her arm and pinned her against the wall.

"You think I don't know what you're trying to do? Do you believe this attitude will save you? You go to abandoned houses at nights and you think this makes you fearless? You try to, hmm what's the phrase your people use? Oh yes, play it cool and show how brave you are but you are not. You are afraid. I can smell your sweet fear…" he paused as he sniffed the air, "… and it's really intoxicating." He finished.

She felt a lump in her throat and swallowed hard before mattering,

"My people? What do you mean _my _people_?"_

"Oh so you haven't noticed?" He asked fake surprise written on his face. "Well let's just say I have some differences from you, your… kind."

Her mind was working furiously to understand what exactly he meant and finally it dawned on her. Pale face, red eyes, white sharp teeth that looked like… Fangs!

"You're a… no, it cannot be." She stuttered.

"A what princess?" he pressed.

"A…, a…" she tried again.

"Say it!" he shouted, his red eyes flashing more.

"A vampire." She answered her voice a whisper.

He regained his calm posture and smirked.

"Well, well. Aren't you a clever one?"

She sat there speechless, not knowing what to do.

'So this is it?' she thought. 'I'm going to be attacked by a vampire? That's how I'm going to die? He will bleed me dry and leave my body here for my parents to find me?'

She felt like there was a bucket of ice thrown at her. This time she shivered hard, not caring if he noticed or not.

He could see the shock in her eyes. The way she chewed on her lower lip while she was thinking. He studied her carefully; as if seeing her now for the very first time. From this close, he had to admit she really looked beautiful. Her hazel eyes were dilated and her red locks looked intense, like they emitted her passion. Her skin was rosy pale and looked like it was silky smooth. Suddenly he was overcome with the desire to touch her. To feel her. Before he realized what he was doing he brought his hand up to caress her face. When his hand came in contact with her cheek, her eyes closed and a sigh escaped her lips. He let his thumb travel across her skin and was surprised to see her lean into his touch like a cat does to its master's pet. His hand followed the delicate curve of her neck and she let her head fall back, giving him more access to continue his ministrations. When he saw her exposed neck he felt a great desire to taste her, an insatiable hunger for her blood, her youth.

His mouth was a mere inches from her neck and she could feel his cold breath on her skin. He was so close she was sure that if she made the slightest move his lips would touch her. For a minute he just stood there, with mouth wide open, fangs ready to sink in. He finally lowered his mouth, his lips coming in contact with her neck and a slow moan escaped her. It was barely audible but it didn't miss his ears. The sound forced him to open his eyes and take in what was happening. The girl that was trembling in fear just a few moments ago had her head now thrown back against a wall, eyes closed and lips half open as if from pleasure. She acted like she enjoyed this, like she wasn't afraid any longer.

This was something that had never happened to him. All his victims were always scared, screaming, begging even but she was doing nothing of the sort. She just stood there letting him do to her whatever he wanted. He could have taken her right there against the wall and she wouldn't have complained. He felt like he was losing control and for the first time this night he was afraid.

When she finally opened her eyes, a moment later, she was alone. There was no sign of him. Like there hasn't been anyone else besides her the whole time.

'Could this have been a dream?' she wondered.

She moved her hand to her heart and leaned against the wall trying to regain her composure. The moment she started walking again, she doubted anything had really happened. By the time she arrived home, she had convinced herself it was all a dream.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The covers were wrapped tightly around her body and she was enjoying the warmth they provided her with. She tried to enjoy the silence of the room and relax but her mind kept wandering back to what had happened in the alley. She tried to find an excuse, anything to convince herself that her memory of him, of his touch was nothing but a fantasy, a dream, a hallucination. She was willing to believe anything. Anything but the fact that he was real.

'He cannot be real. Vampires don't exist.' She tried to reason herself.

'I probably hit myself on something without realizing it and I imagined the whole thing. Yes, that's what happened. I hit my head, I got dizzy and the stories I have heard played tricks to my mind. That's it. That's the truth. It seems reasonable enough.' She decided satisfied.

"Yes that's what happened…" she repeated out loud, one last time before she closed he eyes and gave herself to sleep.

He was pacing in his room for what seemed like hours. He couldn't believe he had let her leave alive. No, not just alive; untouched! He had never done this before in his immortal life. He wasn't one to let a task unfinished.

He has killed many people; hundreds even and he had never once backed down on anyone. He didn't show any mercy when young children were crying, begging him not to kill them and now he met one girl and let her mess with his head. There, he had her pinned against a wall, with her neck exposed to him and he didn't even taste her!

"Fuck!" he screamed, throwing down a glass that shuttered into a million pieces.

He was angry with himself. He was a warrior that everyone respected his cruel and dark nature. His father was the king among their kind and he was next in leadership. He had a responsibility to his father, to his people. He wasn't supposed to act so irresponsibly. If anyone heard of this, his reputation would be ruined.

There was a law, never to reveal your true nature to a mortal and let him live afterwards. They had always lived in secrecy and now he threw everything out of the window because of one fucking girl.

He had to kill her. He couldn't risk her speaking to anyone about him. It was too dangerous. Yes, that's what he would do. He would follow her again and kill her. And then it would all be over. Like nothing ever happened. One more victim to his list wouldn't make any difference to him.

'Tomorrow night, I'll fix this mess.' He promised himself.

The next morning she woke up from the light coming through her window.

'This has definitely been a bad night.' She thought as she yawned loudly.

The whole night she was dreaming. But not good, pleasant dreams. Dreams that confused her, that made her wonder if what had happened was real after all. She kept seeing the same dream over and over again. She was walking from the house, she reached the alley, then there was a crash and she was up against a wall with his eyes piercing through her and his voice filling her head. This was more like a vision than a dream. It was too vivid. She could almost feel the solid wall behind her and the cold air around her. But the next part confused her more. She saw him touching her face with his thumb and then he was leaning down with his mouth wide open ready to kiss her neck or bite her. And she was letting him! She was enjoying his touch; she even produced a small moan! And this is where the dream ended. This couldn't be real, could it? She wasn't the kind of girl that let strange men touch her, let alone a vampire. Sure he was handsome. With his pale skin, piercing eyes, well-built body, oh! And that smirk on his face that made him look deliciously evil… Wait! He was evil. He was a vampire! A vampire was trying to bite her and all she could think about was how sexy he looked?

"Well I'm losing my mind, that's for sure." She said to herself. "Ok, that's it. I'm not going to think about it any longer, I won't go to that alley again and I'll be fine. Having to deal with my parents is enough I don't need a vampire as well." She decided and got up to get ready for school.

She was sitting in class listening to her history teacher explain something about a war.

'Which war was it again?' she tried to remember but realized she hasn't heard a word of what he was saying for the past hour.

"Well if this subject wasn't so boring maybe I would be able to concentrate for more than a minute." She grumbled.

She looked around her observing her classmates. Some of them were taking notes, some were looking outside the window, others looked ready to fall asleep, but all of them had one thing in common; they looked as bored as she was. Her eyes fell to the girl next to her. She was drawing something on her desk and from time to time she would frown her eyebrows skeptically and chew on her pen like she was in deep thought. Ophelia smiled at the sight of her. As if sensing her stare the girl raised her eyes and met her gaze. She returned her smile and scrubbed something on a paper before passing it to her.

'Hey girlfriend, what's up?' Ophelia read.

'Nothing much. I'm bored to death with Mr. Harris. You? Any news?' she wrote back down.

'Nothing you don't know already. I can't believe they brought us to school on a Saturday morning to listen to this crap!' her friend answered.

Ophelia laughed. 'Yeah I know. I really wanted to sleep in today. I'm exhausted.' She wrote.

'Why? Did anything special happen yesterday that you didn't tell your best friend about?" her friend wondered.

"Well what do you think Mel? What could possibly happen that would have kept me awake, besides a good book or homework?" Ophelia answered.

"True, true. Well what about tonight? Are we going to the club?" Melody questioned her friend.

"Hmm, I haven't really thought about it." Ophelia confessed.

"Oh come on! We have to go. Everyone is going! Do you know how many cute guys will be there?" Melody wrote.

Ophelia raised her eyes from the paper and saw her friend smirk. This immediately reminded her of the guy from last night.

'Damn! Why do I keep thinking about him? This is getting ridiculous!' she thought angrily.

Her friend passed her another note, forcing her back to reality.

"You can come to my house and we'll get ready together. It'd be fun." Her friend assured her.

Before she had time to reply the bell rang. Melody rose from her sit and sat down next to her.

"So? Can we go? Please?" Melody asked before flashing an innocent smile to her friend.

"Ha-ha, ok we're going. No need to give me that look." Ophelia joked.

'Well this will be a distraction from everything that happened. Besides I could use a little fun.' She said to herself.

"This is going to be one hell of a night! We'll dance, drink, flirt..." Melody rambled, her green eyes glistening with enthusiasm.

"I hope so. Well I couldn't care less about the boys but I could definitely use a drink today." Ophelia confessed.

"Okay speak up. What happened that has you in such a mood?" Melody wondered.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told." Ophelia muttered.

"Is this about a guy?" Melody asked eyeing her friend intently.

Ophelia looked at her but didn't answer.

"Yup, that's definitely a guy issue." Melody observed. "Well I want to hear every detail. So start talking."

Ophelia sighed. "There's no guy Mel. I just didn't sleep well last night and I'm a bit restless. That's all."

"I see." Her friend answered unconvinced. "Well if something's bothering you, you can always tell me. I'm your best friend."

"I know. Don't worry. If anything happens you'll be the first to know." She reassured her.

She felt bad for lying to her but she wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell anyone about the incident from last night. Sure Melody was her best friend and she trusted her like no one else but this was just too weird. She didn't even know what to believe herself. When she figured out more about this, she would discuss it with her.

The rest of the day passed painstakingly slow. Melody didn't bring this subject up again and Ophelia was grateful for that. They just discussed more about their plans for the night and decided to meet up later at Melody's house.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ophelia looked up from her book to see what time it was. Her clock read 8:45. She let her book on her nightstand and went to the bathroom. She stripped off her clothes and stepped to the shower. Soon the room was filled with the scent of vanilla and strawberries. She took a few deep breaths enjoying the relaxing smell and let the water wash away her troubles. She didn't know how much time had passed when she finally opened her eyes but she could have sworn she was there for hours. Not wanting to be late she quickly stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her.

"Hmm what shall I wear now?" she thought as she searched through her closet. She finally picked up a short black dress that left her back uncovered and her black high heels. She dried her hair, took her purse and left to go to Melody.

Twenty minutes later she finally arrived at her friend's house. She rang the bell and was greeted by Melody.

"Hey Mel, you look great." Ophelia said observing her friend.

"Thanks." Melody smiled. "Now come on, we have to get you ready." She said dragging her friend to the bedroom.

An hour passed till they were both ready to go. Melody wore skinny dark jeans and an emerald tank top with high heels. Her brown curls framed her face and the dark eye shadow she wore made her green eyes stand out even more. Ophelia wanted to let her hair down as usual but Melody insisted on trying something different so she ended up pulling her hair in a delicate bun leaving a few locks to curl around her face. She put on a dark red lipstick that matched her auburn hair and applied black eyeliner and mascara to complete her outfit.

With one last look at the mirror they were out the door heading to the club.

"Oh God aren't you excited?" Melody asked as they were walking.

"Yeah I am. I really hope they play some good music today. I'm in the mood for a dance." Ophelia replied.

"True though I don't really think there will be enough space for that. I bet the club will be too crowded. It's Saturday after all." Melody said.

"Great!" Ophelia replied sarcastically.

"Hey that's not necessarily a bad thing. More people means more boys." Melody winked to her friend.

Ophelia couldn't help but laugh.

When they arrived Ophelia realized her friend was right. The club was very crowded. All the tables were occupied so they decided to sit by the bar. After they ordered their drinks( vodka for Melody and gin tonic for herself) Ophelia looked around her. The club was full of young people in their twenties. They were all drinking, dancing and having fun with their friends.

'Well that's what I intend to do myself. I'm going to relax and have some fun. I have the whole night for that.' She thought.

Melody nudged her, trying to gain her attention. Ophelia looked up at her friend and smiled.

"So what do you think?" Melody asked.

"It's really nice." Ophelia answered.

"Yeah I know. The music rocks! Have you seen someone you like?" Melody asked.

"Mel we just arrived; I don't have a radar or something on my head that spots cute guys. Relax!" Ophelia replied.

"Well keep your eyes open then. You know what they say; if you don't pay attention the love of your life might pass in front of you and you'll fail to notice him." Melody observed.

"I don't think the love of my life would be in a place like this." Ophelia confessed.

"Oh yeah I forgot about you and prince charming. I'm telling you girl, you have to get your head out of the clouds or else one day you're going to get stuck there." Melody joked.

"Well what can I say? Old habits die hard." Ophelia said with a humorous tone.

"True, true. Now come on! We didn't come here to talk. Let's dance." Melody suggested taking her friend by the hand and guided her to the dance floor.

He sat in his bed looking at the ceiling. He was bored. After he decided his plan of action earlier that day he took a shower and fell asleep. Now he just waited for the hour to pass so he could go and find her.

'Today was the big night or to be more specific her _last_ night.' He thought.

He rose from his bed and went to the window.

"It's probably 11 o'clock already." He guessed looking outside. "I better hurry up if I want to catch up with her." He said and got ready to leave.

A few moments later he was in front of the old house. He looked around but she was nowhere in sight.

"So she hasn't come yet. Maybe I'll wait for her to arrive." He decided and took his usual place in the shadows.

Thirty minutes later there was still no sight of her. He was fuming.

'Where the hell is she?' he wondered. He had heard her say she would come back again tonight.

'Maybe she came earlier and has already left .' he thought. He sniffed the air but didn't pick up her scent so he decided she couldn't have come here at all today.

Another thought crossed his mind. 'Could she be afraid and decided to stay home to protect herself?'

'No, she didn't look like this type of girl. Fuck it. I'm going to find something to eat and maybe I'll come back again later. I heard there is a place nearby that gathers a lot of young people. I'm really in the mood for some fresh young blood.' He decided and left.

A few drinks and many dances later Ophelia decided to take a break.

She turned to her friend who was dancing with a young guy and told her she was going out to take some fresh air.

"You can't be serious. You want to leave _now_? Melody asked her_._

"I'm not leaving. I just want to get out for a bit. It's too hot in here." Ophelia explained.

"Ok. Well do you want me to come with you?" Melody offered.

"No, no. I'm fine. I'll be back in a while. You stay here and have fun." She reassured her and headed towards the door.

After he left from the house he arrived at the nearest club and got inside to find a proper victim to satisfy his thirst. He looked around him and noticed that most people here were half drunk already.

'This is too easy.' He thought as he moved towards a black haired girl when something caught his eye. He saw a glimpse of red pass through the crowd and head towards the door. Almost by instinct he followed it and soon he was in front of a familiar sight. There stood the girl he was searching not too long ago. He smirked satisfied and moved closer to her. She was leaning against a wall with her eyes closed and was breathing deep as if she was asleep. He stepped in front of her before he finally spoke.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

She went out and leaned against a wall breathing in some fresh air. Her head was spinning from all the drinks and she closed her eyes to steady herself. She felt someone standing in front of her and was ready to open her eyes and tell him to get lost when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Well, well long time no see." He said with a hint of amusement in his tone.

She froze. Could it really be him or was her mind playing tricks to her again? She opened slowly her eyes waiting to see two red eyes and a shadowy figure but what she saw was far from what she expected. There stood a tall pale guy with platinum blond hair and clear grey eyes. She just sat there contemplating if this guy in front of her could really be the same one from last night. He looked different here in the light. He looked human. His hair fell in front of his eyes and gave him a sort of angelic look. Could this guy with the innocent eyes be the same one with the wicked smile from yesterday?

"Don't tell me you forgot me already." He said looking at her and smirked.

This hypnotizing voice and this smirk were enough clues to answer her question. He was the one.

'Why can't I just go out one night and have fun without anything weird happening to me?' she wondered.

"What happened princess? Cat got your tongue?" he whispered sarcastically.

She moved away from the wall and cleared her throat.

"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.

"I was just taking a walk when I suddenly got hungry." He smiled showing off his white teeth. "What about you?"

"I was just in the mood for some clubbing." She replied dryly.

"Yes I can see that." He said taking in her outfit. "Though this doesn't really look like you, it suits you." He whispered leaning closer to her. "Very sexy…"

Her eyes travelled down his body observing him. He looked very elegant with his expensive clothes and well polished shoes. He kind of reminded her of a dark lord from a movie. She lifted her gaze looking him straight in the eye before whispering to his ear; "You don't look too bad yourself." She smirked seeing the shock on his face and got inside the club without looking back.

He stood there for a moment trying to understand what has just happened. Who did she think she was? How dare she treat him like this!

"Well if she wants to play this way I'm in." He thought and followed her back inside.

She walked quickly trying to find Melody. Her heart was beating furiously against her chest but she was very satisfied with herself. She definitely won this round.

'If he thinks I'm just a silly schoolgirl he is clearly mistaken.' She thought bitterly and headed towards her friend.

When Melody saw her, she immediately went to her.

"Hey, where have you been? I was ready to come looking for you." She said worried.

Ophelia flashed her a smile.

"I was just a bit dizzy but now I'm fine. As good as new. So how are things going on here?" she asked her friend.

"Great! I met a great guy. His name is Justin. He's really cute. Come on, you have to meet him." Melody said excited leading Ophelia to a table where two guys were seated.

"Well this is Justin." Melody said pointing to a guy with black hair and brown eyes.

"Hey, nice to meet you." Ophelia said shaking Justin's hand.

"Same here." He replied smiling. "This is my friend Daniel." He said.

Daniel rose from his seat and shook Ophelia's hand as well. He was tall with brown hair and big blue eyes.

"Come sit here with Daniel while Melody and I will go get us some drinks." Justin said.

"Ok." She replied and took a sit next to Daniel.

"So… Ophelia, right? He asked.

"Yeah." she nodded.

"That's a beautiful name." He observed.

"Thanks." She said blushing. "My parents really liked Shakespeare I guess."

"I like Shakespeare as well." he said.

"Cool! I'm a big fan as well." She replied earning another smile from him.

Soon Melody and Justin returned with their drinks. As she continued talking with Daniel she kept feeling like there was someone watching her. She didn't dare to look around her in fear of meeting grey eyes staring at her. She shook her head and tried to continue her conversation with Daniel but she was feeling uneasy and couldn't concentrate completely to what he was saying. Not able to bare the tension any longer she stood up.

"Do you want to dance?" she asked Daniel all of a sudden.

Daniel looked at Justin who nodded to him before returning his attention back to her.

"Yeah that would be great." He said and took her hand leading her to the dance floor.

When he came back inside the club he saw her speaking with a young girl.

'This must be her friend.' He thought.

He followed them closely and saw them sitting in a table with two other boys. Soon enough she sat next to a brown haired boy and they started talking. He felt angry when he saw her with him. He left him to go sit with _this_ boy? He kept staring at her, watching her every move. She must have realized he was watching her because he saw her stiffen slightly but she didn't turn her head to meet his eyes. She acted like he didn't exist. A growl escaped his mouth. And then he saw her getting up and moving with the same guy towards the dance floor. He felt a sting of jealousy inside him.

"It's not like I care about her. I just don't like when others are messing with my food." He reassured himself. "Ok this is getting too far. I don't have time for this bullshit." He said and went to claim what was his.

As she was dancing with Daniel she met a pair of grey eyes. She let her gaze linger there for a minute before returning her attention to the boy in front of her. She decided that she wouldn't be bothered by him. But then she felt a tall body behind her and soon someone was dragging her away from Daniel and to the back side of the club. She tried to break free from his grip but he was too strong. She scratched at his hand, fought against him but it was pointless.

"What the hell are you doing?" she shouted at him but he didn't answer.

He just kept walking, pushing his way through the crowd, moving towards a dark corner where no one was sitting. Before she knew what was happening he stopped and slammed her roughly against the wall.

She let out a scream and looked at his eyes that weren't grey anymore but a deep crimson color.

'Here we go again.' She thought.

"What do you think you're doing?" he snapped.

"What do you mean?" she asked frustrated.

"Do you think it wise to piss off someone like me? Don't you know death when you see it silly girl?" he whispered his voice dangerously low.

He looked very angry and fear crept into her. Had she pushed him too far? Maybe it was stupid of her to think she could play with a guy like him. He was dangerous after all. Her throat felt suddenly very dry and she swallowed hard.

"I.., I don't know what you're talking about. I was just having fun." She answered.

"You think you can have fun with me? Did you really think for a moment back there that you could play with _me? ME? _I'm not one of those boys you fool around. I've killed people for being less rude than you were tonight." He growled and shook her arms violently.

"Stop!" she shouted desperately.

"Why princess aren't you having fun anymore? Where is your playful mood now?" he asked his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Stop, you're hurting me." She pleaded.

"Well that's the point. Why did you think I came here? To speak with you? _Hang out_ with you? Hmm? Make an effort to answer." He said forcefully.

"No." she whispered.

"That's right. Do you know why I came here?" he asked.

"No." she replied even though she knew the answer already.

He looked at her and smiled.

"I came here to kill you princess. Can you imagine why?" he whispered.

She just shook her head.

"Because no one knows about our true nature and lives. I should have killed you yesterday when I had the chance. I made a mistake letting you live but I'm about to fix that now." He explained.

She remained silent.

"How does this make you feel? Are you afraid? Do you want to beg for your life? Are you going to scream you think…?"

"Just do it already!" she screamed interrupting him.

He looked at her, seeing her flashed face and watching her chest move up and down with every breath she took. He grabbed her and exposed her neck smelling her. She smelt like vanilla and strawberries. Her scent aroused him to no end. He licked her neck tasting her and she shivered. He brought his head up to see her reaction. Her eyes were shut and she was trembling. He descended his face again and instead of her neck he attacked her lips.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

She felt him watching her. She could feel him staring at her even with her eyes closed. And then she felt him move again.

"This is it." She thought and braced herself for the pain to come but instead of pain she felt a cold touch on her… lips?! He was kissing her. His lips were as cold as ice and sent shivers down her spine. At first she just stood there shocked but then she regained her composure and kissed him back. Their lips were fighting against each other's for dominance. He nipped lightly at her lower lip and she opened her mouth to moan. He took this opportunity to let his tongue slip inside her mouth and found hers.

"She tastes even sweeter than she smells." He realized.

He pushed her back against the wall and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He could feel the warmth radiating from her body and it was making him hard. He pushed his hips into hers and she wrapped one leg around his waist. Without effort he pulled her up and her other leg snaked around him as well. His groin came in contact with her core and she left her head fall back in pleasure. He took this chance to explore her neck. He planted light kisses to the curve of her neck and when he reached the base he bit her. She let out a surprised scream as he began to bite her harder but without drawing any blood. After nipping at the sore spot his mouth found hers once again and she let him in freely. Their tongues moved together in a dance of passion and lust. She didn't know how long they were kissing. It felt like they were there for hours. She felt lightheaded. Her mouth moved against his almost by instinct. And then suddenly she heard a voice. It seemed familiar but she couldn't understand to whom it belonged. She couldn't understand what it was saying. She tried to pay more attention, tried to listen carefully and she could feel it getting stronger as if the person was coming closer.

"…Lia, Ophelia… Ophelia!!" Someone was calling her name.

'Melody!' She realized.

She stopped kissing him and opened her eyes. He too heard the voice and looked at her. She held his gaze for a bit longer before unwrapping her legs from his midsection and putting them back to the ground. Her legs felt like jelly after being around him for so long and she lost her balance but he grabbed her just in time and steadied her until he was sure she could stand on her own. She looked at him for one last time before she broke free from him and moved towards her friend's voice.

'What the hell just happened?' Was the last thought that crossed both their minds.

She moved through the crowd and spotted Melody with the boys coming towards her.

"Hey. Over there." Melody waved at her.

"Hey." Ophelia replied.

"Are you Ok? Did something happen?" Melody asked.

"No, nothing happened. I'm fine. I'm sorry I left without saying anything to you." She said and flashed Daniel an apologetic smile.

"Don't think about it." He said and gave her hand a squeeze.

"Well what do you want to do now?" Justin asked.

"I think I'm going home. I've had enough excitement for one night." Ophelia said jokingly.

"But it's still early. Maybe we can go to a quieter place and relax. It'll be fun."Melody suggested.

"Nuh, I think I'll skip."

"Ok, if you're sure," Melody started "but you're not going home alone.

"Mel really it's no big deal…" she tried to convince her.

"No, I'm not leaving you alone. Forget it!"

"I'll give her a lift. You two go ahead and I'll meet you up later." Daniel offered.

"No, no you don't have to do that." Ophelia tried to decline.

"Yes I have. I cannot leave you wander the streets alone at night. It's very dangerous. You don't know who you'll come across."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Ophelia muttered. "All right then. We should probably go."

"I'm ready whenever you are." Daniel replied politely.

"Be careful girlfriend. If you need anything call me immediately." Melody said hugging her friend.

"I will. Don't think about me. Go and have some fun!" Ophelia joked.

She waved Justin good night and left with Daniel following behind.

"This is it." She said after they arrived outside her house. "Well thank you again for bringing me home and sorry about what happened."

"Don't mention it." Daniel smiled at her, his blue eyes gleaming.

She returned his smile and opened the door. As she was about to leave she turned back to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight." She wished for the last time leaving a blushing Daniel behind.

As soon as she closed the door she collapsed against it. A wave of emotions surged through her. She didn't even know what she felt, what she was supposed to feel. Confusion, regret, embarrassment? She didn't have the time to think about it with everyone around, but now that she was alone she didn't want to think about it at all. She just needed to lie down and forget about everything. Him, the alley, the club.

'That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to sleep now and I'll deal with it tomorrow.' She decided as she climbed up the stairs and collapsed onto her bed.

She was still awake. She has been trying to fall asleep for some time now and still she wasn't getting anywhere near it. She felt tired, exhausted even; then why couldn't she fall asleep? She knew the answer. It was because of him.

'It was _his _fault.' she scowled. 'Every time I try to close my eyes the same scene is playing over and over again in my head.'

She shut her eyes tightly trying to think of something else, anything but him and it wasn't working. It was like his image was stuck in her brain forever. She closed her eyes and he was there, she opened them and he was there as well. Maybe not literally but still she could feel his presence as if he was standing right next to her. This didn't surprise her. It was only natural she felt this way after the little encounter that took place between them.

The memory of this made her mouth go dry and she instinctively licked her lips. She regretted this almost immediately when she discovered that she still had his taste on her mouth.

She sighed and got up to go take a shower. Yes, this would relax her; help her to get rid of his memory.

She discarded her clothes and stood in front of her mirror when she suddenly noticed something that made her jaw drop. There, on her neck stood a love bite.

"Damn him. Damn him to hell!!!" she whined.

She was furious. She didn't know if she was angrier at him or at herself but this was something she wasn't going to think about now. It was way easier to put all the blame on him. And that's what she intended to do. She took one last look at her reflexion checking for other marks and satisfied that there weren't any, she stepped into the shower.

The shower did wonders to her strained muscles and tented nerves. As soon as she was finished she put on her comfortable pajamas and crawled into her bed falling finally into a deep and dreamless sleep.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The next morning she woke up feeling refreshed and well rested. She looked at the clock on her drawer and realized it was noon already. She had slept for more than ten hours!

'Well I guess I was really tired after all. Thank god it's Sunday today.' She thought.

She opened her cell phone and saw three calls from Melody. She made a mental note to call her later and went down to the kitchen to eat some breakfast.

After she finished she went back to her room. She sat there contemplating what to do. She thought about doing the homework she had for the next day but decided against it. She really wasn't in the mood to study.

"Maybe I can go for a walk to clear my head a little." She said to herself. But before she had time to finish her thought, her phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey! How are you?" Melody asked from the other line.

"Hi! I'm good. I was going to call you later. Is everything all right?" Ophelia replied.

"Yes, I have so many things to tell you. Oh Ophelia, Justin is wonderful. I had such a great time last night." She said excited.

"Yes he seemed like a very good guy. I'm really happy for you." she answered.

"Thanks girl. Anyway I was wondering if you wanted to go out for a while so I can tell you about what happened with Justin. What do you say?" Melody suggested.

"Yeah sure. I was thinking about going for a walk myself." Ophelia agreed.

"Great, so where do you want to meet?" Melody asked.

"What about the park near your house? Maybe we can go there." Ophelia suggested.

"Ok, how about we meet there in an hour?" Melody said.

"No problem. So see you there in an hour." Ophelia replied and hung up the phone.

An hour later they were sitting at a bench talking.

"So Justin and I went to his place because his parents were out of town and he was so sweet to me. He asked me if I wanted anything to drink, if I was cold… He even offered me some of his clothes so I could be more comfortable. I'm telling you, he was the perfect gentleman! And then I asked him if he had a girlfriend and he said no and he told me that he really liked me and then we kissed and he was such a good kisser… Oh, it was so romantic!" Melody rambled happily.

Ophelia chuckled. "And then what happened?" she questioned her friend.

"Then we just sat together kissing for a bit more before Daniel returned." Melody replied. "Speaking of Daniel, he is really fascinated with you. He was talking about you the whole night. He asked me if you have a boyfriend and what do you like to do… He really likes you Ophelia."

"Well I don't know what to say. I mean he sure seems like a nice guy and I enjoyed talking to him last night but I just don't know if I feel the same way about him." Ophelia confessed.

"I think you should give him a chance. There aren't many guys out there as good as Daniel. And if it doesn't work for you then you can always break up with him." Melody suggested.

"Yeah, I guess. Anyway, I have to wait till we meet again and then we'll see what's going to happen." Ophelia said.

"Actually, I want to tell you something about that." Melody started.

Ophelia motioned her to continue.

"You see, Justin invited us to go to his place tonight and watch a movie. Daniel will be there too. So what do you think? Can we go?" Melody eyed her friend hesitantly.

"Hmm, I don't know if that's a good idea. Tomorrow we have school and I haven't finished my homework yet. Maybe some other time." Ophelia said.

"Oh come on, it's still early. You have plenty of time to study before we go. Please?" Melody pleaded her friend.

"But tomorrow we have school. We can't stay out too late." Ophelia observed.

"I promise you we'll be back by 12 o'clock." Melody promised crossing her fingers.

"All right, we'll go." Ophelia decided.

"Yay!" Melody yelled happily. "I'll call Justin to tell him we'll go."

"Ok. Well I better get going. I have some homework to finish." Ophelia smiled to her friend.

"All right. I'll come to pick you up so we can go together to Justin's, ok?" Melody asked.

"Ok Mel. See you later." Ophelia hugged her friend and left to go home.

A few hours later Ophelia was sitting in front of her mirror brushing her hair for the hundredth time. If she wasn't so absorbed in her thoughts maybe she would have realized that her hair was perfectly straight and in place, but this was the last thing in her mind right now. She was thinking about what Melody had said about Daniel. After some thinking she decided that she liked him as a person and she sure found him attractive but she didn't know if she was ready for a relationship right now. She had a few relationships in the past but they never lasted long. She was the kind of girl that waited for the _one_. The guy that would be perfect for her and she was saving herself for him. It's not like she has never been kissed or made out with a boy, but she just never let it go too far. In other words she was still a virgin and totally cool with it. It's not like she was against sex or something like that. She just didn't like making out with every guy she met. She preferred to get to know someone a bit first before getting more intimate.

'Except with him…' she thought. The mysterious guy from the previous nights. She had seen him two times in her life and they ended up making out. She didn't even know his name and she doubted he knew hers as well.

Memories from last night rushed in her mind and she let out a sigh. She had tried to block this event because she really didn't know what to think. She couldn't understand why he had so much power over her. It was like he had hypnotized her and she let him do to her whatever he wanted. She was confused, that's for sure. She didn't know what was going on between them. Every time he came with the intention to hurt her but he never actually did anything.

'He must be as confused as I am.' She guessed. She wondered if she would ever see him again. She was sure that if she wanted to see him she could. And she realized that part of her wanted to.

The knock on her door forced her back to reality. She looked herself in the mirror one last time before letting her brush on her drawer and went to answer the door.

"Hey Ophelia. " Her friend greeted her.

"Hey." Ophelia replied. "Do you want to come in?"

"No it's ok." Melody declined. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes just let me take my purse and we can leave." Ophelia informed her friend. A moment later they were both heading towards Justin's house.

As they were walking they passed the abandoned house in her neighborhood. For a moment Ophelia wondered if he could be there somewhere watching her like the last time and before she could stop herself her eyes searched around her for a sign of him. Soon she realized that he wasn't there. She felt a bit disappointed and this troubled her. Was she really this eager to see him again?

"You seem troubled." Melody said eyeing her friend. "Is this about Daniel?" she asked.

"It's nothing. I guess I'm a bit nervous. That's all." Ophelia lied. She looked at her friend and flashed a smile to reassure her.

"I'm sure everything will be fine. You don't have to worry about anything." Melody said.

There was a pause before Melody spoke again.

"So, does this mean you decided to give him a chance?" She questioned.

"Maybe. We'll see." Ophelia answered.

Melody just nodded her head. They remained silent for the rest of the way, both lost in their own thoughts.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"This is his street. His house is the last on the right." Melody said. Ophelia stopped walking and looked first at her friend and then around her. All the houses here looked really expensive.

"Oh my gosh Melody. Where are we? In Beverly Hills?" Ophelia joked.

"Wait till you see Justin's house. It's even better than some of these houses." Melody informed her.

Ophelia realized her friend was right when they finally arrived at his house. Correction, his mansion. Melody rang the bell and a man came to the gates and let them in. Ophelia couldn't believe her eyes. This place was like a palace or something. In the front was a beautiful garden with flowers she had never seen before. Their smell was euphoric and she took greedily deep breaths to appreciate the scent more. Melody walked around with confidence like she had been here every day of her life though in reality this was the second time she visited Justin's place. A few moments later they reached the front door and Justin was there waiting at the door, smiling at them.

"Melody, Ophelia. Hello!" he said politely.

"Hey Justin ." Ophelia waved and Melody hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"Please come in." He said letting them pass.

If Ophelia was amazed by how the house looked on the outside, the inside left her speechless. This house was like a museum, with antiques and expensive paintings on the walls. And as much as she liked this house it made her nervous because she knew that if she broke something she would have to work all her life to pay for it.

Soon enough they reached the living room and there in the sofa sat Daniel. When he saw them he immediately got up to greet them.

'What good manners they both have. I didn't know there were gentlemen these days, especially at this age.' Ophelia thought.

"So you ladies sit wherever you want and Daniel and I are going to bring some drinks for you. Make yourself at home." Justin said as he and Daniel left them and went to the kitchen.

"Jeez Melody I didn't know you were such a gold digger." Ophelia joked. Her friend hit her arm playfully.

"Yeah, you're the one to talk. From what I hear, Daniel's house is even bigger." Melody informed her.

"Can a house be bigger than this and still be called a house?" Ophelia wondered.

"Well what would you call it?" Melody asked.

"Hmm I don't know. A town maybe?" Ophelia said sarcastically.

Melody giggled. "Please don't say that in front of Justin."

"Don't worry." She reassured her friend. "I won't."

Just then the guys returned with their drinks.

"So what movie do you want to watch?" Daniel asked.

"Anything as long as it doesn't have to do with vampires." Ophelia replied.

"I thought you loved vampire movies and the whole immortal love storyline." Melody wondered.

"I did. I had a change of heart. Or an exchange of heart to be more certain. " Ophelia replied, whispering the last part.

Melody opened her mouth to talk but Justin spoke first.

"Ok, so how about a comedy? Something lighthearted and funny?"he asked.

"Yeah, that would be great." Melody said smiling.

"Um Justin, I don't mean to sound rude but there is no TV in here, so where are we watching the film? I don't suppose you have a cinema in here or something." Ophelia observed.

"Well, as a matter of fact we have a room in which we watch movies, but if you don't want to go there , I have also a TV in my room not as big but…" Justin started to say.

"Justin it's ok." Melody interrupted him. "We can go to the cinema room. Ophelia was only joking." She shot a death glare at Ophelia who turned pink with embarrassment and mouthed a sorry to her friend.

"Oh ok then. He-he. Please follow me." He said and started walking, the others following behind.

"Sorry Mel. I didn't mean to make Justin uncomfortable or something." Ophelia whispered to her friend as they were walking.

"It's ok Lia. I'm not mad at you." Melody reassured her friend.

The movie lightened up the mood and the previous discussion was soon forgotten. Ophelia was more than grateful for that. As soon as the movie finished Melody dragged Justin out of the room saying something about a vase he had promised to show her, leaving Ophelia alone with Daniel.

They both sat in silence contemplating what to say first.

"So did you like the movie?" Daniel asked, finally breaking the nervous atmosphere.

"Oh, yes it was great. I laughed a lot." Ophelia replied smiling.

"I'm glad. So… Ophelia I was thinking that maybe we could go out sometime, if you have time and you want to of course. You see I like you and I'd love to get to know you. So… what do you think? Would you do me the honor?"

Ophelia didn't know what it was, the polite tone, his sweet words or the dazzling smile on his face, but she just couldn't say no to him.

"Yes Daniel. I'd love to." She answered.

He smiled even bigger at her reply and before she knew what was happening his mouth descended down on hers. His lips were soft and warm against hers and he kissed her slowly almost as if he was trying to memorize the feeling of her lips and treasure the moment. So unlike the hard, passionate kisses from her dark stranger.

After a moment the kiss ended and she opened her eyes, this time not seeing a smirk or red eyes but blue sparkling ones and pink lips. This was a completely different situation. Maybe it was time for something different. Besides Daniel could be the guy of her dreams, the prince from her fairytales. He had the palace, the looks and the manners. So maybe it was finally the time to become the princess she always yearned to be.

'Maybe dreams can really come true.' She decided and this time she was the one that kissed him first.


	10. Chapter 9

The next morning Ophelia woke up in a surprisingly good mood and she had Daniel to blame for this. She could still remember the way he looked at her, like she was a piece of art he couldn't take his eyes off. And his kisses, so sweet and soft against her lips…

"Melody is going to be so happy when she hears I've decided to go out with him." She said and giggled thinking of Melody's reaction. She could picture her yelling in delight, clasping her hands in joy.

"Yes, today is a good day." She decided and for the first time she went to school with a smile.

When she arrived she didn't have time to look around her because a small hand grabbed her and dragged her in an empty classroom.

"Tell me everything." Melody said excited.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ophelia feigned innocence.

"Oh, no. Don't play dumb with me Ophelia Mortenson. You know exactly what I'm talking about. What happened between you and Daniel last night?" Melody asked annoyed.

"Oh about that…" Ophelia said casually.

"Yes about _that. _Tell me! I'm dying here!" Melody pleaded.

"Well, we sat in the room alone after you left to go see that _vase_." Ophelia started throwing an accusing look at Melody to which she just batted her eyelashes innocently.

"and then we talked a little about the movie, he asked me out, I said yes and we kissed." She finished in the same neutral tone.

Melody yelled happily and hugged tightly her friend.

" I'm so happy for you Lia. I knew you and Daniel would get along. It's great! We'll go out all four now as couples. We can even go on vacation together." Melody rambled excited.

"Melody chill. We just said we'll go out sometime. I'm not his girlfriend or anything." Ophelia tried to calm her friend.

"You are not his girlfriend _yet._ But you will be soon. Daniel is only waiting for the right moment to ask you." Melody replied and then she stopped for a moment and eyed her friend seriously.

"You will say yes if he asks you, right?" she asked.

Ophelia froze. What was she supposed to say? She had decided to go out with him but she didn't know if she wanted to become his girlfriend. Was she ready for a relationship? Would she be able to love him?

"I don't know." She answered truthfully. " It's too early to know about that. We'll see."

Melody thought for a minute and then she nodded satisfied.

"You're right." She said. "Sometimes I just get too excited, you know? I don't want to rush you or anything."

"Don't worry about it Mel. I know that you have good intentions." Ophelia reassured her and hugged her.

"Ok, we should go to class now. I can't wait for school to end so I can see Justin." Melody said back to her happy self.

Ophelia smiled. It was times like these she realized why she liked Melody so much. She was like a sunshine always lighting up everything around her.

'Yup, that's my friend'. Ophelia thought and she followed her back to class.

The day passed quickly to Melody's delight and she bid Ophelia goodbye as soon as the bell rang. Melody seemed so happy with Justin. Maybe she could be like this with Daniel as well? If she decided to become his girlfriend would she always have a smile on her face and would her eyes glow every time someone mentioned his name?

She packed her things slowly. She didn't have anything to do so there was no reason to rush. And as if someone had read her thought her cell phone started ringing at that very moment.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Hi Ophelia, it's Daniel."

Her heart skipped a beat hearing his voice on the other line.

"Hey Daniel. I didn't know you had my phone number." She admitted.

"Oh yeah." He laughed nervously. "I took it from Melody. I hope you don't mind."

"No, no not at all. I don't mind." She answered a bit too eager.

"Ok then." He said in a light tone and she could almost sense his lips curling in one of those beautiful smiles. "So I was wondering if you wanted to meet today? Go out to lunch if you want."

"I'd love to. What time do you want to meet?"

"How about now? I could come and pick you up from school." He suggested.

"But I'm not dressed properly." Ophelia hesitated.

"I'm sure you'll be beautiful as always." Daniel said and she felt her cheeks burn.

'How does he know what to say every time?' she wondered.

"Ophelia, you there?" Daniel brought her back in reality.

"Oh yes, I was just thinking sorry." She laughed nervously. "Ok come and pick me up from school."

"Great. I'll be there in ten minutes. See you soon." He said.

"Bye!" she replied and hung up the phone.

Ophelia ran to the bathroom and examined herself in the mirror. She wore torn jeans, snickers and a purple tank top with a matching jacket. Her hair were in a messy ponytail, strands falling in her face. She didn't have even a brush with her.

"I can't let him see me like this. God what am I going to do?" She panicked. "Just my luck, today I need Melody and she had to leave early."

"That's it!" She realized happily. Melody always kept a few things in her locker just in case anything happened.

"You have to be ready every time." She had said once to Ophelia and right now she couldn't help but think how right her friend was.

She ran to Melody's locker and opened it easily. There was everything she needed. A brush, make up, lip gloss... She grabbed the brush, mascara and a pink lip gloss and ran back again in the bathroom. She brushed her hair and decided she didn't have time to put it back up, applied her make up and went to find Daniel.

He was already there waiting for her patiently with a single rose in his hands. He was dressed casually, wearing jeans as well. When he saw her he offered her a warm smile.

"Hey." He said

"Hi." She replied eyeing the rose in his hands.

"That's for you." He offered her the flower.

She took it and examined it. It was a beautiful rose with petals that were a dark pink and turned to a fading one near the center of the flower. She had seen it before she realized. It was from his garden. She smelled it and it reminded her of heaven.

"I saw it and I immediately thought of you." He explained.

"It's beautiful." She whispered her eyes still locked at the flower in her hands.

"Yes it is." He agreed "But I have seen a more beautiful rose."

He looked at her knowingly and she blushed. They both stood there for a moment lost in each other's eyes.

"Shall we go?" she asked a minute later, breaking the silence.

He nodded and gave her his arm.

'Always the perfect gentleman.' She thought as they made their way to the restaurant.


End file.
